There Is NO Right or Wrong . . .

or is there?

I was reading something earlier and a word used stuck with me.  It was used correctly, I thought, but somehow I was caught by it and had to look up the word origin.  That was an aha moment for the origin did not in any way mirror the definition as we know it today.

Neither what I was reading nor the word which caught me are the point of this little bit of “wisdom” though.  They were only the sky writing which made me look up and wonder . . .

Did you know that if we misuse, misspell or mispronounce a word often enough in society that dictionary publishers will revise the dictionary to include our error?  Furthermore, after a while and with enough revisions the original intent is often forever lost?  It’s true.  I’ve seen it.  I am one of those peculiar folks who research these things.  My use of the word peculiar was deliberate.  It is not the word which inspired this post, but merely a tie in to another blog post, I admit.  That was one in which I amended the definition of the word peculiar to its true and complete meaning – one in which I am happy to label myself with.  But, to return to my point here . . .

I believe the frequent alteration of word definitions speaks clearly of you and of me and of our society.  All too often, our poor choices and mistakes of judgment go uncorrected.  We don’t elect to grow, to learn, to rise to the occasion . . . we merely change the rules.  Sad, I think.

Right and wrong . . . does it still matter?

Feeling Faint?

Isaiah 40:28-30

King James Version (KJV)

^“28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:”

 

Matthew 5:11-12

King James Version (KJV)

^“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

 

One of my favorite “spiritual giants” has been saying over and over, when I’m feeling battle weary, to “look at the way they treated Jesus.”  I immediately feel, though I do not admit, that he’s on target yet also feel like “that was JESUS.  Surely it doesn’t apply in the same way to me.” The quote above from Matthew’s gospel has typically struck me the same way.  “Yes, but I’m no prophet.”

Jesus didn’t choose giants, rich dudes, people who “had it all together.”  He used people like me.  You know the kind:

• I should have known better
• why didn’t I think of that
• Life is scary
• Wish I could get my act together
• Okay, you gave me this, now what do I do with it?
• You want me to do WHAT?

Maybe something there triggers with you.  Maybe not, but I think I can safely say we all feel weak sometimes.  Man, of late it’s been a profound thing with me.  Thinking about it didn’t help.  Praying didn’t bring the immediate “WOOHOO”  I truly wanted.  Crying, denying, and whining . . . nope.  Lashing out at a friend who THANK YOU JESUS could take it?  Nope, that didn’t help.  Well, maybe.  I’m certain he said an extra prayer.  Not gonna ask him, but it might have been “Lord, I’m getting tired of her today.”  lol  Seriously, think about the Bible stories we know so well.

The Lord uses the weak.  Those hero types?  The amazing prophets?  His worker bees . . . Peter, Thomas, Paul?  His own Mother Mary?  Simple country girl, a murderer, a bunch of sick people, fishermen, tax collectors . . .  and they changed the world.  They changed their own and their faithfulness has changed mine.

Where would I be without Jesus?  Would I know Him if not for those “ordinary” faithful folks?  How easy it could be for any of them to say “Love you Lord, but I’m so tired.  I am not capable of doing this.”  How about  “You want me to do what? “ or perhaps  “The seas are gonna part?  Huh? You’re joking.” Think  about it . . . when Jesus commanded, did they say:

• build an ark?
• walk all over the world telling folks to turn their hearts to you?  I’m not good with words.
• They won’t like me if I do that . . .
• get in a boat with a bunch of wild animals?  Huh?
• Touch that person?  He’s got . . . you’re gonna heal him through my hands?  ME???

So, I get inspired, then tired . . . and sometimes wonder why He’s not talking to me because I must not have heard Him . . . He surely didn’t just say I am to do that for Him?  Most of us have a friend we can count on to tell us the truth.  The one you ask “does this pair of jeans make my butt look too big?” We sort of hope they’ll say “no you look great” but we need the truth and are better for having heard it.  Surely if our human friends can be truthful and lovingly help us even when the answer isn’t quite what we expected . . . the way not easy . . . Jesus loves us enough to die for us.  We trust our human and earthly friends, we need to trust Him. He promises we will never be alone.  He asks for our heart and assures us of His power and strength and we can count on His Word.

Wow, do I feel weak.   Suddenly, it seems like an asset.  I used to think I had it all together.  Life didn’t truly begin until I let go of that lie and said yes to Him.  I may falter some, even later on today, but right now I’m rejoicing in my weakness and thankful for His strength.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for my weakness.  Thank you for breaking my heart so you could fill it with your love.  Thank you for the honor of being your servant, your sheep.  Lead me.  I will follow.  Amen.

Joy Hidden In The Fog

Is joy simply a gift, or a conscious decision we choose to make? It is difficult to choose in the midst of those who seek something else just as it is hidden in a fog of their apparent resentment of our own seeking something more . . .

By Martha L Shaw – 5-20-2013

My Pentecost

It came suddenly,

This gift so long-awaited,

Yet its arrival startled me.

I had grown accustomed to my hunger

And suddenly knew it no more!

In its place came a new excitement,

A new purpose,

A new understanding,

A new path,

And a new experience of grace

Filling me to overflowing.

Then, I saw the fire in His eyes,

Knew the depth of passion,

This love He has for me!

I saw His smile,

Knew His happy tears for me

Would not extinguish the fire,

But only fan the flame

In my soul!

This flame?

It’s burning still!

By Martha L Shaw – © 5-17-2013

Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape

Photography by Martha L Shaw © 5-17-2013

Thankless Task?

A quick thought for Friday!

If I pray without ceasing and thus make everything I do a prayer to the Lord, I am His and it is Him whom I serve.  So, if I serve you and you do not thank me . . . grumble . . . behave as though you are entitled . . . act spoiled, and I become angry, was I truly serving the Lord?

Get Up!

 

Jesus Loves Caterpillars!

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. –  Buckminster Fuller

When I grow up, I will be a butterfly, but Jesus can already and only see me as a butterfly right this minute!

Read Any Good Magazines Lately? Help Me Help Others

Hey all!  I am updating blogroll and will be naming it “recommended reading” and am seeking your help.

Through reading one of your blog posts, I discovered a WONDERFUL publication called Time of Singing, which is a quarterly Christian Poetry Magazine/Journal which has been in existence since 1958.  Had it not been for our family of writers here, I’d have missed out on this great read AND missed an opportunity to potentially be published in it some day.

I would love your help in finding other inspiring treasures.   They can be print media or e-zines, and my only request is that they be inspirational/Christian.  If you know of one which is traditional values based but might not call itself Christian, that will work too.

I ask you to please put a link to the publications you like in the comment section to this post and I will update my blogroll to include it.  Thanks.

The Beauty In What Is Plain

In another post, I spoke of a rough day and a quilt I made which lifted me up.  Now, the other part of the story.  Look at this closely:

If you look closely here, you will see that this is made up of as lot of
“Four Patch” quilt blocks.  When i flipped through some sketches of different traditional quilt blocks before designing this quilt, I quickly passed the Four Patch by.  It is simply 4 squares sewn together.  Plain, boring, and didn’t have any appeal to me at all.  Look at the picture without focusing on the fabrics.  Within each of the strips which separate the quilt blocks, you see just squares . . . nothing fancy.  Oh, sure.  Two of the four segments of each block are made up of 4 even tinier squares, but still so plain and lack luster. Now look again.

When the light shines on the plain and simple . . . the patterns of the fabrics draw you closer and perhaps make you see things a little differently.  Looking again, see that all the blocks are exactly alike, it seems, and individually, they still aren’t much.  However, when they are together as one body, they become warm, full of life, and beautiful.  As a quilter, I have learned to see the hidden beauty . . . the real beauty hidden within . . . just needs to be coaxed out.

The Lord knows this so much better than I am capable of seeing, but in a small way this quilt speaks of the body of Christ and why we must work together as one loving body of Christ in this world.  Beautiful things can be hidden within the fragments and become examples of His love only when we all come together!

In designing a quilt, I rejected many fabrics before I selected the few which I used in the quilt shown.  This is where quilting differs so from  the love of Christ.  None are rejected.  To be a part of His body, all we need to do is say “yes, Lord” and accept His love and love Him.

Say yes, won’t you?